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RetailMeNot.ca International Survey: Nearly 6 in 10 Holiday Shoppers in Canada expect to spend the same or more for the December holidays in 2013

- According to the survey, 1 in 4 Canadians are reluctant to do holiday shopping online, lag only Italians and Dutch in snubbing ecommerce

- More than 3 in 10 Canadians plan to start shopping prior to October

TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2013 /CNW/ - A new international survey conducted by digital coupon site RetailMeNot.ca, in conjunction with Ipsos (www.ipsos.com), reveals that among holiday shoppers, 59 per cent of Canadians surveyed intend to spend the same amount or more on the December Holidays compared to last year. Additionally, just over a quarter (27 per cent) of Canadians surveyed will not do any of their holiday shopping online this year, trailing only Italians (29 per cent) and the Dutch (31 per cent), according to the 11-country holiday-spending study.

As for the outlook for total spending among holiday shoppers in all 11 countries, 50 per cent of those surveyed internationally by RetailMeNot say they will spend about the same amount during the holidays as they did last year, with 31 per cent expecting to spend less and 9 per cent more. Fifty-four per cent of Canadians say they will spend the same as they did last year; 32 per cent say they will spend less; and 4 per cent expect to spend more.

The United Kingdom has the most ecommerce-savvy consumers among the countries surveyed, with 44 per cent of Britons saying that they will make the majority of their holiday purchases online, followed by China at 40 per cent and Germany at 33 per cent. Americans are in the middle of the pack, with 24 per cent expecting to do the majority of their holiday shopping in front of their computers, compared with 10 per cent of Canadians.

"Holiday shoppers are clearly going to be focused on staying within their budgets, however we see that 59 per cent intend to spend about the same amount or more during the holiday season," says Josh Harding, vice president of global operations for RetailMeNot, Inc. "Canadians who are hesitant to shop online are missing out on opportunities to access great deals from national online retailers that may not be in their backyard."

Almost a third (32 per cent) of Canadians plan to start their holiday shopping before October, compared with the 11-country average of 31 per cent. While 28 per cent of Canadians wait until December before the holidays to start their shopping engines, Swedes are the leading procrastinators among those surveyed, with 47 per cent admitting that they wait until the last month of the season.

Within Canada, the survey also revealed gender-based differences in holiday shopping. More women than men said they would spend less money on holiday shopping this season due to their current financial situation (38 per cent vs. 26 per cent). Men also indicated they are more likely than women to postpone holiday shopping until December before the holidays (34 per cent vs. 23 per cent).

Other statistics revealed:

International Spending Trends: While Canadians are likely to spend the same or more this year for the December holidays, those in Italy (45 per cent), Australia (37 per cent), Great Britain (26 per cent), the U.S. (35 per cent) and France (35 per cent) are among the most likely to say they will probably spend less this year, while those in India and China are most likely to say they will spend more than they did during the holiday season last year (27 percent and 29 percent respectively);

Costs and Concerns: Only 16 per cent of those surveyed internationally said the costs of the December holidays aren't a concern for them this year, with Canadians falling near the average (14 per cent). Swedes are most likely to say they are unconcerned (28 per cent).

RetailMeNot.ca conducts regular shopping-habit surveys to better understand and meet the needs of Canadian consumers.

Survey MethodologyThe online survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs from June 10–24, 2013, among a total of 10,009 adults across 11 countries. This included roughly 1,000 interviews in each of Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the United States, Canada, Great Britain, India and China, and 500 interviews in Sweden and the Netherlands. Results are weighted to the general adult population ages 16–64 in each country (or in the U.S. and Canada, 18–64).

About RetailMeNot.ca.RetailMeNot.ca (www.retailmenot.ca) is a new digital coupon site in Canada. Its mission is to help consumers save money and enjoy a hassle-free discount shopping experience with retailers serving Canada. RetailMeNot.ca promotes digital coupons from thousands of retailers who do business with Canadians. RetailMeNot.ca is operated by RetailMeNot, Inc. (NASDAQ: SALE), the world's largest digital coupon marketplace.

About RetailMeNot, Inc.RetailMeNot, Inc. (www.retailmenot.com/corp/) operates the world's largest digital coupon marketplace. The company's websites enable consumers across the globe seeking to save money to find hundreds of thousands of digital coupons and offers from retailers and brands. RetailMeNot, Inc. experienced more than 500 million visits to its websites in the last 12 months. The RetailMeNot, Inc. portfolio of coupon and deal websites includes www.RetailMeNot.com, the leading digital coupon site in the United States; www.RetailMeNot.ca in Canada; www.VoucherCodes.co.uk, the leading digital coupon site in the United Kingdom; www.Deals.com in Germany; www.Actiepagina.nl, a leading digital coupon site in the Netherlands; Bons-de-Reduction.com and www.Ma-Reduc.com, leading digital coupon sites in France; www.Poulpeo.com, a leading digital coupon site with cash back in France; and www.Deals2Buy.com, a leading discount offer site in North America. RetailMeNot, Inc. went public in July 2013 and is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol "SALE." Investors interested in learning more about the company can visit: http://investor.retailmenot.com/.